Pastoral care and student support: Developing a method of retention

The transition from High School to first year Engineering at University can be very difficult for many students. Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand (VUW), developed an early warning system for student grade performance: Big Sister, and a system of Pastoral Care within the School of Engineering and Computer Science. This paper will discuss how Big Sister supports the identification of at risk students and how this system is integrated into the delivery of effective Pastoral Care. Importantly, this paper will also discuss the information gained from student interviews by the Pastoral Care staff member. In particular, we discuss the findings in relation to student self-efficacy and success and how this is being used to improve the first year teaching and learning environment.